Telephone system



Nov. 17, 1931. H. M. BAscoM 1,331,901

TELEPHbNE SYSTEM Filed Feb. 21. 1930 Dial Sabscrz'bel'fs Set INVENTOR.Eflffiascanm ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE HENRY BASCOM, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICANTELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK I TELEPHONESYSTEM Application filed February 21, 1930. Serial No. 430,291.

This invention relates to signaling systems and more particularly totelephone systems. It provides an arrangement for automaticallyconnecting a dial system subscriber to an operators position and fordisconnecting the subscriber from that position.

This invention consists essentially in the provision of a relay in thesubscribers line which may follow dialing pulses. A pulsecontrolledcircuit is incorporated in the arrangement for the purpose of operatinga selector ofa type which may be suitable in train dispatch signaling.This selector may be operated to close one or more contacts wheneverpulses of a predetermined code are transmitted thereto and to avoid theclosure of these contacts whenever any other code is transmitted.

While this invention will be pointed out with particularity in theappended claims, the invention, itself, both as to its objects andfeatures, will be better understood from the following description whenread in connection with the accompanying'drawing showing one embodimentof the invention for illustrative purposes.

The reference character L designates a telephone line over which speechand ringing or as indicated, which includes, among other things, atelephone transmitter, a receiver, a

switchhook upon which the receiver may be mounted and a dial device forproducing pulses of any desired code. At the right of line L, there maybec'onnected a line finder of any Well-known type, which may include,among other things, means for connecting a grounded battery to one sideof the line and for grounding the other side of the line.

A relay designated A is connected in the line. L. Thisrelay includes twoparallel windings,lone of which is inductive and the othernon-inductive- Relay A'becomes operated whenever the receiver of thedial subscribers set is removed from the'switchhook. Only the inductivewinding of the relay A controls the movement of its armature between thecontacts a and I) in accordance with dialing pulses produced at thesubscribers set. the set is removed from the hook, the inductive windingof relay A becomes energized and the armature of this relay closescontact a. Yet, throughout the period during which the telephonereceiver of the subscribers set depresses the switchhook, the inductivewindingof relay A will not be energized and its armature in that casewill close contact I). The non-inductive winding of relay A freelytransmits direct and alternating currents and, in effect, simulatesresistance in the transmis sion of speech currents. V When the contact ais closed by thearmature of relay A, as is the case when the subscribersreceiver is removed from its switchhook, a relay C Will be operated, inwhich event current will flow from a battery B through the winding ofrelay C, contact a and the armature of relay A and ground. If a number 5is dialed. at the subscribers set, then'the armature of relay A will bereleased five successive times and the back contact I) of relay A willbe closed five times. The front contact a of relay A will be closed fivetimes in succession. The relay C is of the slow-release type andtherefore a considerable period of time is required for its armature toopen its associated contact. During the process of dialing, the

armature of relay C will remain closed against its contact. Each time,however, that the contact 6 of relay A is closed, a relay D will beoperated, the circuit controlled by contact 6 including battery B thearmature and contact of relay C, the windings of relay D, the contact 6and the armature of relay A and ground.

The reference character W designates a wheel which may be of the ratchettype, as

shown in a patent to J. P. C. Boswau, 1,101,679, dated June 30, 1914.This wheel .may carry two arms, only one of which is transmitted tothc'relay D, the first'of these Thus, when the telephone receiver ofarms (the one not shown) and the other of the arms designated E aresuccessively set adjacent to contact F. If the arrangement is designatedto be responsive toa coded signal such, for example, as 58, the firstarm (which is not shown and which is always insulated from contact F)will be brought adjacent to contact F after the number 5 is dialed, theeffect of which is to lock the arm in this osition awaiting thereception of pulses corresponding to the next digit. If any other digithad been dialed this locking would not occur and the arm would berestored to its normal position. will establish an electrical connectionwith contact F after the number 8 is dialed.

Vhen the subscriber places his receiver back on the switchhook, relay Awill become deenergized and its armature will again close its backcontact 6. Then current will again flow through the windin s of relay Dand the arm E will be advanced another step. It is to be noted that thearm E of this inven tion is made wide enough, as indicated in thedrawing, in order to maintain the contact F closed after the subscriberreturns the receiver back on the switchhook, provided the predeterminedcoded signal, which may be 5-8, assumed hereinabove for illustration,has been transmitted. The transmission of any other coded signal willnot bring about the closure of contact F by the arm E after thesubscriber has replaced his receiver on the switchhook.

When contact F is closed by arm E, current will flow through the windingof a relay G, the circuit including a battery B contact F, arm E, thewinding of relay G and ground.

Relay G will attract both of its armatures and these will close theirassociated contacts. The tip and ring sides of aack J will be connectedacross the line L at the dial subscribers set. Thus the operator, uponplugging into j ck J, will be in a position to receive those messagesintended for the subscriber.

l Vhen ringing current flows from line L over line L as the result of anincoming call,

that current will also'fiow over a circuit including the armatures ofrelay G. a condenser K and the winding M of a relay 0. Relay 0 will thenoperate and its armatures will close their associated contacts 0 and d.The winding of relay P is connected in series with the sleeve side ofthe ack J and is normally unoperated. Hence, when relay 0 operates, itswinding N will become energized and will lock that relay. The lockingcircuit includes a battery B the armature and contact of relay P,contact 0 and its associated armature at relay O, the winding N of relayO and ground. Relay 0 will remain locked until the armature of the relayP opens its associated contact. \Vhile relay 0 remains looked, a lamp Rwill become illuminated by the flow of current from a battery 13., in aThe arm E circuit which includes contact d and its associated armatureat relay 0, the filament of lamp R and the grounded battery B The lampwill indicate to the operator that a ringing signal has beentransmitted. When the operator plugs into jack J, relay P will becomeoperated by virtue of the connection of battery to the sleeve side ofjack J and the armature of relay P will become attracted and will openits associated contact. Relay Q will then release. The operators cord isarranged in the well known manner to trip ringing current and thusestablish a talking connection to the calling person. Upon the releaseof relay 0, moreover, lamp R will become extinguished by virtue of theopening oi"? contact (5 of relay 0.

. It will thus be apparent that after the subscriber has placed theoperator in a position to receive his calls, ringing current coming inover line L will operate relay 0 and this relay will become locked up.Lamp R will become illuminated and will remain illuminateduntil theoperator plugs into aclr J. The message will be transmitted over thecircuit including both armatures of relay G and the tip and ringsides ofjack J. After the operatorhas received the message, her plug will beremoved fromjack J. Any subsequent ringing signal "will again operaterelay 0, lock it up and illuminate the lamp It. So, it continues, theoperator receiving all the messages intended for the subscriber.

\Vhen the apparatus of this invention has been put into the conditionabove described, then, if the subscriber desires to receive his owncalls, all he needs to do is to dial any number at random. Any numbersubsequently dialed will disconnect arm E from contact F at the sametime releasing the mechanical latch and permitting the wheel V torestore to its normal position.

One case in which this invention may find considerable application isthat of the subscriber' who may, for example, be a doctor. The doctorwill receive'his own messages while he is at his oflice but he maydesire the service of'the telephone operator to receive any messagesintended for him during his absence. Thus, by his dialing thepredetermined code, the telephone operator will be placed in a positionto receive all calls intended for him. By telephoning the operator, thedoctor may get the messages received during his absence.

It is to be understood that this invention may not only be employed forthe purpose of placing a'telephone operator in a position to receive themessages intended for a subscriber but the subscriber may, with asimilar arrangement connect his line to that of a different subscriberfThe latter subscriber may then receive those messages intended for thefirst subscriber during his absence.

VVlnl'e this invention has been described in one particular embodimentmerely for the purpose of illustration, it will be apparent that thegeneral principles of this invention may be applied to other and widelyvaried organizations without departing from the spirit of the inventionand the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a first circuit, a subscribers set'includingdialing apparatus connected to said first circuit, a relay havingparallel inductive and non-inductive windings connected in series insaid first circuit the armature of which follows dialing pulses, asecond circuit'leading to an operator, means responsive to apredetermined coded signal impressed upon the winding of said relay forconnecting said first circuit and said second circuit so that theoperator at the second circuit may receive messages intended to reachthe subscribers set, and means for severing the connection between saidfirst circuit and said second circuit in response to any signaldifferent from said predetermined coded signal.

2. The combination of a first circuit including a telephone subscribersset and means for producing any coded signal thereat, a relay connectedin series with said first circuit having parallel inductive andnoninductive windings, a second circuit leading to an operator, meanscontrolled by the armature of said relay and responsive to apredetermined coded signal transmitted through its winding foreffectively connecting said first and second circuits, and means forapprising the operator of the transmission of a ringing signal to thesubscribers set over said first circuit.

3. The combination of a telephone line, a first relay having parallelinductive and noninductive windings connected in series with said line,a subscribers set terminating said line, said subscribers set includingmeans for dialing any desired coded signal, a jack, a second relayhaving two armatures which may connect the tip and ring sides of saidjack to said telephone line, and means controlled by the armature ofsaid first relay and responsive to a predetermined coded signaloriginating at said subscribers set for operating said second relay. 7

4:. The combination of a telephone line, a subscribers set terminatingsaid line. said subscribers set including means for dialing any desiredcoded signal, a jack, a'first relay having two armatures which mayconnect the tip and ring sides of said jack to said telephone line,means including a second relay the winding of which is connected inseries with said telephone line and responsive'to a dialed predeterminedcoded signal for operating saidfirst relay, a third relay operated byringing current transmitted over said telephone line, and meansforlocking said third relay.

5. In combination, a telephone line, a dial subscribers set terminatingsaid telephone line, a direct current relay connected in series withsaid telephone line the armature of which follows dialing pulses, a slowrelease relay, means for maintaining said slow release relay operatedduring the impression of dialing pulses on the winding ofsaid directcurrent relay, a ratchet wheel bearing an arm which may swing radiallyabout its center, an element which may be engaged by the arm of saidratchet wheel, means interconnecting the contacts adjacent to thearmatures of said direct current relay and said slow release relay torotate the arm associated with said ratchet wheel so as to engage saidelement, an auxiliary line extending between the telephone line and somedistant point, and means controlled by the arm of said ratchet wheel toeffectively connect said auxiliary line to said telephone line. 7

In testimony whereof, I have signed 1n name to this specification this20th day of February, 1930.

HENRY M. BASCOM.

